Time to Wake Up - Drink some Coffee - Hop on the Bike and Knock out a CrossFit WOD

Got up this morning and was ready to see how bad the 2 weeks in Texas had set back my cardio and breathing.

Got the morning started with the usual dose of motivating music!

Kinda the way I felt when I woke up this morning.... Sore and Tired, 1 eye open and ready to slay the Dragon!

https://youtu.be/2aJUnltwsqs

Today's workout.

Went to my doctor agreed max of 225# for 4 easy reps on the squats and up to 60# dumbbells on the 1-arm rows.

And then turned to the 22 min time capped WOD!

Smoked that MFer just barely under the time cap.

Red-lined in the last minute trying to finish with the 2 ladies that did the WOD with me and the Praxis Owner and Head Trainer hollering at me to finish.

Was Wiped out and Totally spent but made it Rx baby!

Peddled the 5 miles back up the hill against the wind to the North side of Santa Fe.

Now that's the way to start a day.

When you do all that by 10:00 am, the rest of the Day is a piece of cake.

I'll cross that Bridge when in it collapses under Me!

I know I know, it's a catchy and distorted paraphrasing of the common adage -

I'll cross that Bridge when I get to it.

As usual I have edited and adapted a common life axiom to fit my own life.

It actually popped into my deviant brain as I was discussing an upcoming change I was having to make regarding my current condo / residence in Santa Fe.  The owner is selling the property and has given me 60 days notice.  I was telling my daughter it was gonna be really hard to find a condo with the features, location and price I currently had.

So she asked - "What if you don't find a place to live in Santa Fe?"

To which I cleverly responded "I'll cross that Bridge when it collapses under Me."

And once I said it, I realized it's become a Life Theme of mine over the past few years.

In my line of work, working in the petrochemical industry, where there’s a lot of critical rotating equipment, there’s a lot of time and effort directed toward predicting and planning for equipment failures. 

Historical data is collected on equipment parts like bearings and seals based on operating temperatures, pressures and flows and that data is correlated with the wear on these critical moving parts so that failures / failure durations can be predicted – one of the big measures of this is MTBF – Mean Time Between Failures.

So if you can predict when a part is gonna fail, you change the part out right before it fails…. So you’re proactive vs reactive.

Hang with me here – I know it seems I’ve gone off into the Engineering / Nerd World Weeds but there is a hook so just bare naked with me.

For most of my life, I have planned, prepared and looked ahead and done everything I could to avoid mishaps and failures of a physical, spiritual, emotional, vocational and relational nature.

I used past experiences, current knowledge and plans for future events to guide my future actions.

And for the most part, I’ve failed at it.

Yep - Failed health, Failed career, Failed marriages.

So starting about 5 years ago, I tried something different.

I picked a direction, an objective and just started heading towards it, guided more by the pathways and opportunities that were provided me rather than my own coercion and convolution of future events.

Basically, I maintain a constant course until some significant data point or event causes me to alter course.

The failure of my left knee in early January was an example of that.  Even though I probably should have taken more proactive measures to have it replaced earlier, I forced the knee to fail before I did something about it.

I crossed that Bridge when it collapsed under me….. Literally!

This kind of Failure forces Immediate and Decisive Action - It is a clear indicator of the direction of near term effort and events.

What I'm talking about here is a very reactive way of conducting life which is very counter culture to me.

I have learned to eat more instinctively – eating what my body wants and only when my body wants it.

Working out is the same way.  I continuously go where my body tells me to go – to PIYO, on a bike ride, to CrossFit, hiking, dancing….. It's an eclectic mix of hard core body blowing activities and milder activities of stretching, joint preservation and mixing social interaction with exercise.

I haven’t looked for Work…. Work has found me and forced me to respond to it.

I have lived alone and haven't looked for friendships or relationships but have responded to them when they have made themselves apparent and available.

I’ve stayed in Santa Fe because there has been no significant driving force to get me to move elsewhere.

In almost every aspect of Life, I am forcing Change to make its case, to overcome the inertia of the status quo, to force me to address it through a Real Time vs Predicted Failure….

Through Collapse of the Bridge beneath me.

There’s a lot of proponents in Santa Fe of the “Just Let Life Flow” approach.

I’m not sure I will ever adopt this perspective on Life. 

My Life Water tends to Crash vs Flow.

I prefer to think of my Life as a Wide Open Sprint through a Minefield or better yet across Mined Bridges where the trick is to get through and across to the other side before it blows up beneath me.

You cover more ground that way.

It's kinda like when I asked my Total Knee Replacement Surgeon, Dr Gregory Stocks, what would happen if I "broke" my new left knee.

He simply responded....

"I'll fix it".

Running to Failure is an Option - like Running Towards a Fire instead of Away from it.

And for me it's the Option I've chosen.

Are You Really as Good as You Think You Are?

Assessment - it's a word that's not used in a lot of conversations.... More something suited for the Business World or maybe even a Construction Project.

as·sess·ment

əˈsesmənt/

noun

1. the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something.

Part of the Problem with doing an Assessment is that you have to know something about the Subject Matter, i.e. be an SME..... Subject Matter Expert.

Usually that takes some formal training and at least a few years of work in the field or industry.

Then you have to have some sort of document, procedure or list (there's that word again - "list") to benchmark or reference whatever you're assessing against some industry or defined standard and collect / record / document the data obtained during the assessment.

Then you have to actually DO the assessment.... in an Objective and Unbiased Manner.

Next step is to compare the data you obtained in your assessment and categorize it, break it down into smaller elements or groupings of sub-subject matter and identify the gaps or differences between the data obtained vs the industry standard.

Finally, based on the findings, recommendations can be presented / considered for change / improvement to the Client / Assessee (I just made that word up - that's the person or entity being assessed) based on the data comparison and analysis.

Sounds all pretty technical - right?

Well - it is.... kinda.... because it is a rough explanation of the Scientific Method....

sci·en·tif·ic meth·od

noun

1. a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

But what if you used this Assessment / Scientific Method on Yourself?

That would make it a Self-Assessment right?

I mean - Come on - How many people actually Objectively Assess themselves and Identify Areas for Improvement and then Actually Work on closing those gaps.

Perhaps the Natural Tendency is to have a built-in resistance or barrier to seeing someone that is the Way We Want to Be or at least possesses and practices some habit, activity or lifestyle that We Wish We Had.

We either question the validity or necessity of the elevated approach or at worst, attack it.

For me, it's the opposite.  I am drawn to people who are better than me.

I want to learn from them, understand their motivations, plageurize their ideas, compare it to my own and then find a way to blend or merge their better way of doing things with the collective efforts of my own life.

I Beg, I Borrow, I Steal from the Experiences and Discoveries of Other Individuals and Happenings in my life to make my life and my life experiences better and hopefully I provide a few nuggets of information and experience that they can consider for themselves.

Because, in the grand scheme of things,  I am no more than a pimple on a gnat's ass when compared to the Incredible Knowledge and Diversity of the World around Me and the People in it.

It's Ok, and for me a Critical Catalyst for Change and Improvement, to listen and look at someone and appreciate how they do certain things or conduct themselves and take notes and say....

I wanna be more like them.

I've been experiencing a lot of that lately having somehow fallen into a community of a different type....

Where Kindness, Joy, Peace and Positive Projection is tempered with Knowledge, Judgment, Experience, Acceptance, Discernment and Understanding of Human Nature.

It's kinda like taking the la la Santa Fe mind-style and injecting a heavy dose of Real World Awareness to it and coming up with a Better Life Witch's Brew of Green Chile and Chicken Soup.

Assessing Yourself Objectively and coming to the conclusion that You're Not All It.... or even a Small Part of It is a process that, while uncomfortable and challenging to the life status quo, can force you to exact needed changes that will take your life to a whole new level.

Where you are not as good as you think you are but.....

Better than You Were Before.

Dealing with Man-ipulative, Man-Wannabe, Man-Eating Psycho Bitches

Catchy title for a Sunday morning huh?

Upon reading this title, the average reader, which anybody that reads my shit is not, might say -

What's this guy's problem?

To which I would respond.... Don't really have that many problems....

Mainly because I have learned to take a Wide Berth of Man-ipulative, Man-Wannabe, Man-Eating Psycho Bitches!

I have been blessed or cursed to come into contact with a few examples of this species in my life.

And despite my core nature to try and help these people and provide assistance with their problems, I have found that No Amount of Love, Care and Empathy can help them.

They are destructive Forces of Nature that obliterate everything and everyone in their path.

Just so we are on the same page of the identification guide of these Tasmanian Devils of Society, let me list a few observed characteristics:

• Obviously, I'm talking about Women.  Guys are far too straightforward and stupid to pull this act off.  And besides, if they did, they would get their asses kicked by other guys.... which is what should happen to these Women but because their Women, that doesn't happen..... more on this later.
• These Women have real Mental Problems.... and I'm not talking about Mental Behavior problems - we all have some of those.  These Women have Chemical Balance problems.  I've always said that 99% of the people that get drug treatment for mental illness would be better off addressing their problems with lifestyle management like Better Diet, More and Intense Exercise, Getting Restful Sleep and Stress and Schedule Management..... Not these Women - They need Real and Powerful Mind Altering / Behavior Modifying Drugs!  
• In most cases, they know that they need to be on some powerful mental illness drugs, have been on them and gotten off of them and have Terrorized the ones they claim to Love and the Rest of the World around them ever since.
• Obviously, these women have low self-esteem.  Whether it's from their childhood, an absent or bad relationship with their father or bad relationships with past men or just a conjuring of bad spirits of their own doing, these women go through their life hating themselves and everybody around them. With high self esteem being the cornerstone of any happy individual, these sick individuals lack the moral and ethical foundation for any healthy and meaningful relationship.  
• And as is typical with every low self esteem person, they seek to pull those down around them to their depressed level just to make themselves feel better.
• They are usually in a marriage, relationship, condition or environment where they have some leverage or control over their male partner through children, finances, longevity, mis-information or just plain ole coercion.
• They use and abuse their family with their life altering tirades and temper tantrums and then snap out of it an hour later and wonder why everybody is looking at them and treating them like a hand grenade that just went off.
• Oh and catch this one - which is really important - None of the Armageddon Around Them is Their Fault!
• From my experience, they are all physically more like Men than Women - they have lost their feminine qualities and natures to an extra hundred pounds and look more like Brawlers than Babes.... and they act that way too.
• These Testosterone - filled Bitches wanna act like a Man!  They shout, cuss, talk loud and generally come across like a Bitch Dude that you would Bitch Slap in 2 seconds cause he was a Dude.
• Which brings me to a really important point. A Woman is to be respected and revered as a Woman... as long as she acts like a Woman.  But when a 200# Woman is up in a Man's Face, amped up on whatever Bad Mojo Chemicals are floating around in their Demented Minds, cussing / fussing / spitting, pointing fingers and pushing..... then they have crossed over the Line between Woman and Man..... and should be treated accordingly.

I relate this little collection of thoughts with the understanding that not everybody has encountered or dealt with women like this or even know or acknowledge they exist.

I guess I've just been "blessed" to have met and known several in my lifetime and have developed a mechanism / system for dealing with them.

Step 1:  Recognition - It won't take long to spot these Deviants because they are not happy people.  They tend to be super-critical, negative, never have anything good to say about anybody kind of people. And they don't have peaceful eyes.  Look them straight in their eyes and you will see the Torment they live with everyday.

Step 2:  Following Recognition - Recede / Retreat - In other words, get the fuck away from them.  You may think, initially like I did, that you can help these people and you will likely have that natural urge.... like picking up an abandoned stray or a Serial Killer hitchhiker on the side of the road.  In a word - Don't!

Step 3:  Recommend - Get with their husbands, kids, friends and talk / recommend to them about getting this Sycho Soul some Help.... and I don't mean counseling.... that won't help these people.  Like I said, I don't believe in Psychiatric Drug Intervention in 99% of the cases in which they are prescribed.  These people are the exceptions.  I think the psychiatrists need to take all the drugs they are prescribing to the people who don't need it and give it to these few individuals that do.  It will improve their situation, their lives and give the people around them something to be thankful for.

There now.... Wasn't that Special!

Or at least different.

Hey - that's why you're reading this blog.

I cater to those open minded and maze bright enough to know that the World isn't always what it seems....

And that the responsibility for our own happiness dictates that we navigate this Precious Gift We Call Life in a way that minimizes Damage and maximizes.....

Discovery.

Making War on the Bird of Peace and Dealing with the Devil in I

Yep - it's that time of year again when folks in Texas brave the near 100 degree heat index temps and go slay the Bird of Peace aka Mourning Dove and in this part of Texas, the White-Winged Dove too.

The season opened the morning of Thursday, September 1st, in this Zone of Texas and.....

We were there!

Little change of scenery and clothing huh?

Yep - I used to be a killing MFer but got out of the hunting game about 10 years ago and have never looked back.

Now the only hunting I do is on special request from my son and that's what this is all about.

Geez Dude - you're looking a little old.....

It ain't the years Hoss.... it's the Miles!

God sent us some overcast skies, a little breeze, lots of birds and some Sky Candy that I was eating all afternoon long.

On a different note, I have been having this ongoing conversation with a friend regarding the Dark Side that we all possess.

This person doesn't see or acknowledge that almost all people have a dark side that they keep repressed and hidden away because frankly, it would be destructive and embarrassing to reveal it.

I, on the other hand, fight an ongoing battle with...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEEasR7hVhA

I wanna know who you're meeting in the Cemetery....

I don't have to tell you anything!

I definitely wanna see this guy in concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcdBexBwmf8

Hmmm...... the Closer I get to you.....

The more I want to....

F*ck You like an Animal!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTFwQP86BRs

It's really surprising to me when people are surprised by me.

I tried to tell 'em how I was but they just wouldn't listen.

Their problem....

Solo CrossFit workout at The Gym in Buffalo Tx

Plageurized a workout off the Praxis website.

How you like my rigged 24" box jump?

You know me....

Where there's a Will-iam, there's a Way-iam!

Got to 225 on the squats.... That's my upper limit I agreed on with my TKR doc, Dr Stocks.

Gonna try to keep that little agreement AND my left knee intact.

Rx of 45# on the ManMakers.

What's a ManMaker you ask?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMNnvhg1JcM

So Plank - PushUp - Row - Row - Squat / Clean / Thruster....

Plank - Repeat.....

And pullups with a mirror - Nice!

Timer is ready!

2 rounds and 5 reps for the 10 min AMRAP!

That's the best this broken down 54 year old body can do!

If I was a Horse they'd just shoot Me!

So let me start this post by saying I'm in Texas!

Yep - my old Stomping Grounds.... my old Money Making Grounds.....

And my Old Medical Find Out What the Fuck's Up Grounds!

So What the Fuck's Up!

Well - in a Nutshell....

I'm Fucked Up!

Or should I say.....

Worn out!

I know I hear all the moderate intellectual overweight, let life pass me by individuals out there saying....

"Ha! I told you so.... I knew it.... Yeah you thought you were such a Bad Ass and now all that working out and shit talking has got you where?"

To which I say in a polite manner.....

"Better to Live One Day as a Lion than a Lifetime as a Lamb."

And in not so polite a manner....

"FUCK YOU!"

Ok.... enough of the attitude and expletives.

Let's get down to data, information, experiences and learnings.

And that's the most important thing about this post and this blog in general....

What can you take away from the information you get here?

What can you learn to do to better your life?

What can you learn NOT to do to better your life?

So let's take it one body part at a time.

First of all, as most of those who know me and / or read this blog regularly know, I had a left knee replacement on April 4th and it is doing wonderfully..... Way beyond my highest expectations.  It is way better than the God-given knee I had for the last 5 years and even though the orthopedic guys tell me otherwise, I can't tell it's not better than the knee God gave me from the beginning so 2 thumbs up and Gold-colored stars on the Left Knee Replacement.

Now let's talk about the rest of the God-given parts.

First of all, as a matter of information, I had all of these exams / evaluations done at the Fondren Orthopedic Group in Houston Tx.  

http://www.fondren.com/

As far as I am concerned and know, this is the best group of orthopedic doctors in the World and if Humpty Dumpty ever fell off a wall, I would take him there to have him put together again.

So let's begin the list of Body Part All Stars with a guy I have known for over 30 years who has done 4 surgeries on my left knee - G. William Woods.

http://www.fondren.com/physician/physician_040

And this is the X-ray of my Right Knee - Yep the God-given knee.  I've had some pain from it especially when sitting for a while or hiking downhill and every once in a while when a make a clockwise rotation with the upper leg relative to the lower leg I can feel a sharp pain that feels like a meniscus tear or rough area.

So I had the G-Man take a look at it and, surprisingly, it's not that bad.  There's still plenty of meniscus / cartilage left and the wear is relatively even.  There is one bone spur visible on the inside of the lower joint visible on the x-ray on the left but that's about it.  

Dr. Woods recommendations -

Stop squats, lunges and all weight exercises for the legs.... Just hike, bike and swim..... Been hearing this for 30 years.

So I showed him how I do squats and lunges where I keep my shin / lower leg completely vertical, i.e. no knee movement past vertical, keeping a 90 degree angles between the upper and lower leg.....

And Dr. Woods goes.... "Hmmmm..... Never seen that before.  That will make a difference." 

I didn't convince him to let me do squats but I did make a point.

Lifting technique makes a huge difference in the stress that is put on the knee joint or any other joint for that matter.

He also told me that the NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) that I am taking, Dicloflenac, is one of the strongest NSAIDs available and was probably instrumental in masking the pain and inhibiting the inflammation to the extent that I could continue to rock the CrossFit Rx WODs as an example to which I thought "No Shit Sherlock.... that's why I'm taking it".

Anyway, he prescribed me a milder NSAID as a way of limiting my ability to work out as much because I would be in more pain.

Huh?  Go to a doctor and he reduces your meds so you can be in more pain? 

Now that's a new approach.

Anyway..... we'll see how it works out.  I think most of the Pain Relief comes from working out and keeping the muscles around the affected joints strong but that seems to be counter to modern medicine so WTF do I know.

So bottom line, unlike the other body parts, the knee is the knee of a 54 year old.  

So that's the good news first.....

And where the good news ends!

The next body part giving me problems is my lower back and for this evaluation I went to J. Bryan Williamson at the Fondren Orthopedic Group.

http://www.fondren.com/physician/physician_050

His PA, Darren, came in to see me first and did a simple drawing of what he saw on the X-rays, a condition called spondylolisthesis -

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/spondylolisthesis-topic-overview

It's a fancy way of saying that one vertebra has displaced forward relative to its neighbor because there's no more cartilage / disc left to keep it in place.

In my case, this has happened in the disc below L5 on this drawing.

You can see it clearly in the bottom right X-ray.

Also note how little gap there is at this vertebra compared to the ones above it.

And you can really see the forward displacement on this next X-ray.

So in a nutshell, the lower back is pretty bad, as I suspected.

And of course the recommendation is No More Weight bearing exercises including squats, deadlifts and especially military presses - 3 of the most basic strength and muscle building exercises.

I asked Dr. Williamson about the benefit of keeping the muscles around the spine - the spinal erectors - very strong to support the structurally degraded spine and he grudgingly admitted that was probably the reason I was still as mobile as I am.

So let me get this straight.....

Keeping your lower back muscles strong and built up through doing heavy weight bearing exercises such as squats and deadlifts is bad for the skeletal back but good for the muscles that support the back which is good for the skeletal back.

I'll get Back with you on this.

Now for the worst news of all.... The Left Shoulder.

For this exam, I used Dr Hussein Elkousy at the Fondren Orthopedic Group - 

http://www.fondren.com/physician/physician_700

Bottom line, the left shoulder is bone to bone best seen on the lower right X-ray.

No cartilage at all between the upper and lower bones.

And this joint has also displaced forward and formed a new "dish" in the lower bone causing what is labeled appropriately a "Biconcave" condition or a Biconcave glenoid.

Here's one very technical article explaining Biconcave (B2) Glenoid condition and Shoulder Replacement to fix it.

http://www.amjorthopedics.com/specialty-focus/shoulder-and-elbow/article/management-of-the-biconcave-b2-glenoid-in-shoulder-arthroplasty-technical-considerations/cc7a86cabad2a42e7cc830e4374dfaff.html

From this article:

The biconcave (B2) glenoid is characterized by asymmetric posterior bone loss and a posterior translated humeral head that is seated in a biconcave glenoid. 

And another link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4762795/

And from this article:

 The B2 glenoid is defined by asymmetric posterior bone loss with the development of a biconcavity and posterior translation of the humeral head. Progressive bone loss results in increasing glenoid retroversion, which must be corrected during anatomic shoulder arthroplasty.

Dr. Elkousy was the most pessimistic and adamant of the 3 doctors I visited about the future of the shoulder joint.  No more overhead weight bearing exercises at all.  Only curls and pulling movements.

Obviously, shoulder replacement is the end game and I asked him about that.

No weightlifting at all with a shoulder replacement. 

Then I asked him a question I had asked the other doctors and that reflects a holistic view and approach to life.

"What if I told you I didn't want to live to be 80 or 85?  That I only wanted to live to 70 but be active and do what I'm doing now all the way up to that point?"

In another words, fuck making this body last and living a diminished existence where you smile and wave at life like a lot of the Walking Zombies out there.  Just keep going wide open until body parts start flying off like a dragster engine blowing apart at 300 mph.

His reply -

If you had a shoulder replacement and do what you're doing now, it won't last 4 years.

And I looked at him and said these exact words....

"You mean to tell me that in 2016, they can't make a fucking shoulder joint that will allow you to lift a 50# sack of corn off the ground and put it on a shelf above your head!"

And he replied - "That's correct".

And I said..... "Well that's a bunch of bullshit".

I think the young doctor (the youngest of the 3) was talking a Safe Game to make sure that none of his patients put a bad mark on his record by wrecking one of his precious shoulder joints.

Regardless of what I think that was the info conveyed.

So we agreed to use the X-rays and observations from today as a benchmark / reference point and come back in 6 months and check everything again.

Those 2 data points should give us a trajectory of degradation which will roughly define the life of the shoulder.

So what was my takeaway from all this.

Well, first off, I already knew all this.  

I didn't need any X-rays or expert Doctor devaluation to tell me the aforementioned parts and joints were in bad condition..... the pain told me that.

Hell I can feel the shoulder joint grating bone on bone when I do handstand push-ups and side planks.  I could've drawn the X-ray of my left shoulder out on a piece of paper based on the way it felt.

And in knowing all this I have made adjustments.  I'm not working out near as much or as intensely as I was 2 years ago.  I don't do Les Mills Body Pump (High Rep all Body Part Weight Class) anymore.

I used to do a PIYO group exercise class in the morning AND a CrossFit class in the evening 3 times a week.  Now I just do the CrossFit class.

So I have made some changes.....

But Maybe I need to make some more.

I talked to my son about it and he recommended I do the Hershel Walker style workouts which is basically 1000 reps a day of bodyweight exercises - Squats, Pullups, Pushups, Situps.

I don't know about you but I don't want to do a thousand of anything.

Anyway, I'm gonna think about it and make adjustments as necessary based on the only reliable indicator I know.....

Pain.

Pain will make you change....

And Maybe it's time for a change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhRowkNrTM

Regardless of the condition of my deteriorated joints, I feel more

Awake and Alive 

Now than I ever have!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJUnltwsqs

While in my old hometown of Lake Jackson Tx today, I had to stop by Brazos Mall and my favorite clothing store.

Next door, at Hot Topic, I saw this shirt that explains my view of Sarcasm and why I use it so much!

Pretty much come to the conclusion that I just have to embrace the Freak in Me and Live With It!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sXoA7B5yJo

Am I Invincible?

Of course not.

But do you really have to Be Invincible or just....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzw6A2WC5Qo

How do you like my new blue mirrored John Lennon-esque Ray Bans?

Wheh ya going Wills?

Into the Sunset baby..... Into the Sunset.

Back at the worksite lodging and set up for...

Work!

And eating right!

And Working Out!

Aaaah..... and that too!

You know what?

In the end analysis, we are only on this Earth for a short while and we have to make the best of our time here.

However you define that.

For me, it's Wide Open from Can See to Can't See.

That's the Way I Live.....

And That's the Way I'll Die.

People Who Talk a Lot generally Have a Lot to Say!

I know it sounds like a Yogi Berra-ism, but hear me out…. Cause I have a lot to say on the subject!

And as in most things on this blog I can only relate my own experience on the subject matter.

First, let’s list some “Conventional Wisdom” on the subject and you know how I feel about Conventional Wisdom – it’s more Convention than Wisdom and is Rong more times than Rite….

And I’ll relate the Conventional Wisdom on People who Talk a Lot through 3 sayings or adages:

“You have 2 ears and 1 mouth so you can listen twice as much as you talk.”  Personally, I like this one but only because I like hearing people talk…. As long as they have something to say and these are most times 2 different things.

·         “You should keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you’re ignorant rather than open your mouth and confirm it.” This one is a little harsh to me as it puts a kind of fear in people to express themselves for fear of judgment. I say “let ‘er rip Tater Chip and let the Chips fall where they may!”

·         “Let the other person talk and then you’ll know what you know AND what they know." This sounds like some sort of selfish lawyer speak (or listen) where you go around on some information and intelligence gathering mission and get as much as you can without giving anything in return. Communication and information exchange is way up there on my list of things I value and appreciate most so if you’re gonna sit there and pick my brain and not give me anything in return, then you’re gonna end up on another list of mine….. and it ain’t the Good List.

So now that we understand the Conventional Wisdom on people who talk a lot, let’s talk about the Outback Willie Wisdom on people who talk a lot.

My experience has shown me that Expressive People who are willing to talk about what they know, their experiences and life in general are typically intelligent, well rounded, happy individuals.

I know most of the People I have met that I rank at the Top of my List of most respected People are all Big Talkers.

Because here’s the deal.

You can be the most intelligent and accomplished Person in the World and if you’re not willing to share or talk about your knowledge, experiences and your 3 F’s – Fallibilities, Failures and Foibles – (and yes, everybody has these)…..

Then what’s the point?

I mean WTF is so cool about being Mr. or Mrs. Quiet and Reserved?

Is that Fun? 

Does it make you more Dignified or seemingly Intelligent and Well-Mannered just because you sit there like a Sponge and take everything in and give nothing in return?

Fuck that!

Now, let me also clarify that there’s a Big Difference between a Talker and a Rambler.

A Talker relates interesting and intelligent subject matter, events and experiences.

A Rambler runs off at the Mouth like a Run-On sentence with no intelligible beginning, end or substantive content, topic, plot or objective in the middle.

I guess that pretty much wraps up what I have to say about Talkers.

And as a Talker, I’ve learned something about appreciating Talkers.

I’ve learned how to Listen.

Hmmmmm……

Not for the Faint of Knee!

Woke up this morning from a too short night complements of the Tuesday night Canyon Road Blues Jam at El Farol and determined to try a new Strength class at Anytime Fitness but made the mistake of going on the Praxis Train Heroic website to check out the WOD.

I saw real quick that my Mentor and Nemesis and Praxis owner - BJ - had issued another challenge to my Sense and Sensibilities -

Not to mention my lower back and new left knee.



So with 5 hours of sleep, a 1/2 a coffee of strong pot and a micro meal of chicken, cheese and apple....

I willed myself to life....

And prepared to meet the Rx challenge of the day.

With the standard warmup that reads like a workout.

And some Turkish getups and KB swings....

And a gracious nod to the Reality of an aging and decrepit Praxis population in reducing the Men's Rx deadlifts to 255#....

The New Nee and Me continue to go beyond those Galaxies of Life and Limb to the tune of 30 reps of 255# deadlifts.

No new or God given body parts ended up on the floor so there's that to be happy about.

Well done Old Man....

Well done.